Affections
by Izzu
Summary: Honou no Kokuin. Having his father back again amongst the living made him think about certain things.


Writing this as a side thought. Because it's about time I write for this side of the Garo fandom.

* * *

It was something that was taught to him early on, as far as he could remember. It was something that was instilled deeply in him, so much that it became a part of him.

Affection, compassion. While those qualities were what gave strength to the ones that vowed to become a protector, it was those same qualities that they needed to put a tight hold of. To not let the emotions to become too extreme, to the point it deterred them away from fulfilling their duties. And to avoid those extremities from leading them astray, and lead them to ruin.

So while they could still love, they couldn't love too much to the point that the love could become hate. They could also not hate, to the point that it led them to fester darkness inside of their hearts.

Yet on the other hand... it was impossible to be one without affection; without feelings and emotions. Especially as those affections were directed towards the people who you claim as part of your family...

León sighed to himself.

Yes. He loved his father. As much as his father tend to annoy him with his odd antics, the man was still his father and so he loved him a lot. Not to mention his father was the only other family member that he's got–before he found out that he had Alfonso as a cousin, as well as an Aunt who was the late Queen of Valiante–since his mother had died right after he was born, and his grandfather... much earlier than that.

He always thought that his father would always be around by his side... as annoying as his father's skirt-chasing habits could be. How wrong he used to be. Just when he was about to show his father how much he'd grown as a Makai Knight worthy of the title of Garo... his father was _killed_.

Just so that Mendoza could resurrect Anima in order to gain immortality.

Back then, a part of him had almost stopped caring. Who cared if he continued to live? If he died, then Alfonso could inherit Garo back again and continued protecting people in his place. It no longer mattered... since both of his parents was no longer amongst the living. But then his mother's spirit appeared and vowed to imprison Mendoza forever... and his father's spirit guided alongside him so that he could return to the world of the living. As if that wasn't enough, Ema and Alfonso never stopped fussing over him afterwards to cheer him up.

 _And then he met Miss Ximena... and afterwards after she told him that she was pregnant with his father's child..._

León glanced up towards the man before him. The one man that he used to look up to, the man that raised him into the Makai Knight he was now. The man that he hated to admit that he missed being fussed by.

 _Germán Luis. Also known as Zoro, the Shadow Cutting Knight._

The father that perished four years ago was back now. Temporarily existing at his side in the world of living right now, all thanks to Garm. Even then it was only because his father was yet another tool that Garm sent to assist them in case things get awry. Once their mission was completed, his father's soul would return to Makai.

After four years, he thought he would be able to handle the loss of his father pretty well by himself. But now?

 _How would he be able to handle the loss of his father once again after their mission ends?_

"León?"

León glanced up towards his father. "Yes... dad?"

Germán gave him a cheeky smile. "Are you sure that we can't just have a tiny _detour_ on the way? I mean, there's no harm to greet the ladies for a bit of lo–"

Without hesitation, León kicked his pervert dad away as Germán rolled down the hill. He shook his head.

Perhaps letting his dead dad go the second time wouldn't be hard for him after all...

xxx

 _"What a shame."_

 _"But I won't let you lay a single finger on my family..."_

It's strange. No matter how long time has passed; no matter if the loss happened a long time ago or just a moment earlier, the hurt one feels when seeing someone dear to them disappear before their very eyes...

 _It still stabbed painfully into his heart._

It was still the same pain, regardless if it was about his mother... or his father. Or even Lara and her family. The pain of losing someone... it was something that he never wanted to feel again. Not anymore. The tears he thought had run dry inside of him flowed freely again.

 _"I didn't expect you to pick a name so fitting. The name that I threw away so long ago."_

 _"It's as if... he's part of me."_

León smiled, despite himself. How apt was it for him to regain strength to fight back against the horror Sir Venus, from his own half-brother Roberto? Named after the father that sired both of them?

It's as if his father never left his side at all...

León glanced up towards the small child he was carrying over his shoulders. Despite what had transpired earlier and how much the child had cried afterwards, Roberto right now looked so cheerful as if all of the past dangers had never happened.

"Roberto... are you tired?"

"No, I'm okay!"

Honestly, it surprised him. Considering all of the scary things that happened earlier, knowing his little brother... it usually took the Roberto _a very long time_ before he could smile again. But right now, looking at his little brother... it was as if the child had already gotten used to the kind of life a Makai Knight had lived. As he did... at Roberto's age. Despite the fact, Roberto never _did_ encounter any Horror prior to Sir Nigra.

"Really? That's great..."

"Then, once we get back, let's all..."

Then perhaps it shouldn't be so bad now. For him to show a bit of affection once in a while. It's not as if they still lived in an age where Makai Knights and Alchemists were still in hunted by the average humans...

"Yeah! Let's train!"

"No..."

León thought about the days when he used to be so young. The days in between all of the training... the rare times when his dad used to play with him. When they didn't need to worry about being hunted, being persecuted by the enemy that killed his mother and many of the Makai people like him.

He smiled.

"Let's go fishing."

It took a moment for his words to sink in, but then Roberto finally realized what he meant and exclaimed happily. The small kid's laughter for some reason sounded like a bell that lifted his spirits. It was as if _his father_ was still around.

 _"León!"_

A memory of when his father first taught him how to ride on a horse came to mind. And then another memory of the two of them just laughing together, not doing anything important. Those moments that he used to consider to be unimportant... until the time of his father's death.

In which he started to miss those treasured memories dreadfully.

León sighed.

Perhaps having affections was not truly such a bad thing. Rather than just strengthening the body and sharpening one's skill, it was also important to strengthen one's heart.

So it should also not be bad for him to show his affections to those he held dear. As long as he was still alive.


End file.
